Advent: Rise of the Reclamation
by WaaagMaster
Summary: The Stars hold a race divided. The first, a people determined to survive in an unrelenting and cruel galaxy, and who remember what their race once was, the other a people trying to find their place in a crowded galaxy. When the remnants of the Loyalist Covenant come across a Alliance colony it sets in motion the reunification of a Civilization that has almost been forgotten. (AU)
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: 343 owns halo, Bioware owns Mass Effect**

"_They think of us as vermin to be exterminated, eaten for food and to be enslaved. For five decades we have lived in fear of the Brutes; the Jirahanae and their savagery. No more, this will no longer continue. We stand on the dawn of a new age, an age where humanity will no long cower in the shadows and live in fear. No our Empire will stand strong and firm against all foreign aggression that entrenches upon us. We. Will. Not. Bow. The Age of fear is over and now the Age of Man; of Empire; of Reclamation has begun." _

_-Fleet Admiral Harper to the UNSC Expeditionary Force prior to the Fall of Dosiac; Second Great War, 2585._

_UNSC Ultra Heavy-Carrier Judgment Day, December 2674._

The Combat information Center of the UNSC Expeditionary Force Flagship was vast, dozens of Officers and Enlisted personnel created a constant buzz of noise as they went about their duties. Assisting them were hosts of UNSC Dumb AIs whose blue colored holograms were projected on pedestals scattered around the rectangular chamber. The CIC much like the Bridge of the Carrier were located in the center of the fifteen-kilometer in length warship. With forty thousand Marines, twenty five thousand Sailors, over fifteen hundred Kukri Strike Fighters and Scimitar FTL Bombers, twenty four hundred plus CIWS platforms, three thousand Reaver missile silos, the ship earned its name; even without considering the Carriers main armament.

Surrounding the flagship were thousands of vessels from the grey plated, purpose built war ships of the Reclaimer Empire's UNSC, to Task Forces of the New Covenant, Inter mixed with them were the haphazard in appearance ships of the Eayn Protectorate, swept-wing vessels of the Turian Hierarchy, Angular ships of the Systems Alliance Navy and countless others.

And it might not be enough, Fleet Admiral Ryan Zhang, commanding officer of United Nations Space Command Expeditionary Force thought to himself as he watch the holo-table project the Allied Races Defense Initiative First Combined Fleet. For every ship he had the Archenemy had nearly a dozen, and with the majority of the ARDI Combined Fleet reliant on Element Zero that made the numbers disadvantage worse. But there was no turning back, not after The Event.

"Sir, all Battle-Groups report that they are ready for the jump." His Aide-d-camp Bradford; a UNSC 'smart' AI reported as the AI tapped his earpiece. Zhang nodded, he didn't need the verbal report; he had check the report Bradford had sent to his Neural Implant, but having the words spoken made it all the more real. Home was lost as were countless other worlds, a hundred billion dead. But now… now there would be retaliation.

"Prepare the NOVAs, have the Infinity classes do the same, and open a General COM Channel the Fleet." Alea Icata Est, No turning back the Fleet Admiral reminded himself. However stated that was the roll of the United Nations Space Command Expeditionary Force; to engage the enemy and keep the battles from the worlds of the Empire no matter the cost, just as the UNSCEF had done in its inception during the Second Great War in order to prevent a repeat of the First Great War

"Yes sir." The AI acknowledged before turning back to face Zhang. "Channels ready."

The Admiral unconsciously straitened his dull gray Naval Uniform, which when both shoulder plates were included was more like no to mention acted as personal armor and cleared his through as he accessed his Neural Implant and activated the channel sent from Bradford. "Men and Women of the Allied Races, for nearly a decade we have fought the loyal remnants of a hated interstellar empire, now we face something worse, beings as old as time itself if not older. Being who laid the Forerunner Empire low when it was at its height. We are out numbered, out gunned, but not out matched. The Event had murdered uncountable billion and has destroyed homeworlds. We cannot hold back, if we fail all life will be enslaved, cattle to have their minds stripped and clouded. When the portals open we will enter the domain of the Archenemy. The howling dark; a place whose very existence is controlled by the will of our enemies. This war; the battle will be the defining moment of each of us, of our civilizations. We fight for our brother- and sister-at arms, for those left at home; our friends, our families, our mothers, our fathers, our brothers, our sisters, our children. One final effort is all that remains. For the Reclamation."

Fleet Admiral Ryan Zhang moved to stand before the Combat Information Centers primary Holo-fleet-command table. This is it he thought. "Recon vessels move in, all other ships prep weapons and advance on my command, reserves stand by."

Zhang watched as the stealth vessels moved into the portals, their crews knew what was need of them in the coming battle. "Assault Group… Advance." Once more unto the breach.

**A/N: This is a AU of my pre-existing story Advent of the Reclaimer empire, I have been on a hiatus due in part to real life for the past four months and have only now began to start writing again. As to why I have started an AU instead of a new chapter is that I have been suffering a mix of writers block and new plot ideas that would fit in my preexisting story.**


	2. Flashpoint

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

"We do not know who crew them or the reason why they travel the stars, to most they are a myth, since there has never been a confirmed report of any of the Ghosts. Pirates and Slavers tell tales of their fellows coming across these vessels only never to return or if they do it are a few survivors in a lone lifeboat. Some of these tales claim that the Ghosts are dreadnoughts the size of the Destiny Ascension. Other than these tales all there is to rely on are the scattered reports of the Migrant Fleet who claim to have witnessed the Ghosts in orbit over desolate worlds and then vanish shortly afterwards without making contact. What has been confirmed is that these reports only started to come about a century ago"

-Professor T'Covis on The Ghosts: A Century of Mystery

_SSV Elbrus, Eureka System, 2170_

It had started as it normally did when contact was lost with a colony, a wolfpack in this case the cruiser Melbourne and its six attendant frigates were dispatched to reestablish contact with the colony world in question. The four hundred and eight servicemen and women of the wolfpack were prepared to deal with anything from natural disasters to pirates and slavers. But other than acknowledging their orders they were never heard of again.

Damn slavers thought Admiral Rafael Brown as he stood in his fleet CIC, Once contact with the Melbourne was lost Alliance Command reacted quickly and orders came down within hours and now… now the entirety of the Human Systems Alliance Fourth Fleet; a sixth of Humanities naval might was being dispatched to engage whom ever attacked an Alliance colony.

Admiral Brown looked to the holo display that dominated the center of the Alliance Everest-class dreadnought. In the center was his ship designated by the small orange sphere next to his dreadnought was the only other kilometer in length vessel in his fleet; the SSV Einstein, the carrier was the first space-borne carrier built in galaxic history. Armed not with a spinal mount but with sixty Raven Torpedo-bombers and forty Eagle-class Interceptors the Einstein could easily tip the balance of battle in the Alliances favor. Along with its fighter compliment it carried enough Mantis Gunships, Kodiak Dropships, and Mako IFVs, and Grizzly Tanks to deploy two thousand Marines.

Stationed around the two capital ships were some forty cruisers and sixty frigates. The frigates were organized into ten Wolfpacks of six; each wolfpack was lead by a cruiser. This was to be the 'front' of the Alliance counter offensive, once they passed through the final relay. The remaining thirty cruisers would hold the center of the combat formation to provide mid range fire support while his dreadnought held the rear of the formation in order make best use of the vessels long range. The last vessels of the Fourth Fleet were the auxiliary support ships and dedicated troop ships. These thirty ships most of which would remain in place beyond the relay away from the combat location, to be kept safe until they were needed. The half dozen Japan class Troop ships would come with the Fleet but stay with the Einstein and its escort until a cordon was cleared for them to deploy ground forces the liberate the colony.

The Admiral to one last look at his Fleet before nodding to himself, time to move. "All ships move to formation and prepare for relay transit." When a fleet was needed to transit a relay it was tricky when enter combat; the more ships that entered the relay at once the greater the odds of scattering hundreds of thousands to millions of kilometers apart from any other ship. But if you were to go one at a time or in small groups it only made it easier to be destroyed in piecemeal, and because of that Admiral Brown compromised.

"All formations, report in."

"Wolfpack Alpha, reporting in." Came the voice a Captain Santiago.

"Wolfpack Bravo, reporting in.' Answered Captain Hackett.

On and on it when through each frigate Wolfpack, the cruiser Battle-groups, the Einstein, the Auxiliary ships and the troopship.

"Wolfpack Bravo stay with the Einstein, I don't want anything slipping past and engaging the Carrier or the Troopships." He ordered, he did want any chances taken not when a Wolfpack had already been lost.

"Understood, Fourth Actual." Came the response as one of the ten Wolfpacks moved to the Einstein and the six Troopships.

With that down now came the counteroffensive it self, and Brown ordered the Wolfpack forward to transit and one by one they vanished in the blue light of relay travel. Once they were through came the cruisers turn and they went just as quickly. All that was left was his own ship and the Einstein and its group.

"Captain have the Helm initiate relay transit." He ordered through the ships CommSuite up to the bridge. He watched the holo-display as his ship moved away from the auxiliaries. Within seconds his ship was through the relay and with the rest of the Fleet. Once the remaining thirteen ships were through. He issued orders and his fleet entered combat formation.

In the lead were nine Wolfpacks, their role was to move in and engage hostile at close range. After them were the five Cruiser Battle-Groups, they would form the center of the line and engage at medium range. Behind the Battle-Groups was the Elbrus, which would do what it did best: hammer at the enemy formation. On the edge of the system sat the Einstein, the ships of Wolfpack Bravo and the Troopships.

Supporting the Wolfpacks were the Fleets' Torpedo-Bombers and Interceptors which when Einstein's compliment was included numbered four hundred and twenty. It was standard combat formation, meant for assaulting other frontline fleets, and against pirates it was overkill.

"All ships enter FTL at the designated location and prepare to engage." The Fourth Fleet from the small one-man fighter craft the larger frigates and even larger cruisers and his dreadnought shot forward after reorienting and sped forward at fifteen light years per day. They emerged still in formation seconds later.

"Ladar up, I want to know what out there." Brown ordered as his Fleet moved in, coming closer the colony of Mindoir.

"Sir, no signals are coming from the colony." One serviceman reported from his post.

"Sir, Unknown Contacts Detected, twelve cruisers, and eight dreadnoughts in orbit over the colony." A second voice called out at the same time as the first, but with clear hints of panic.

'Re-repeat that serviceman." Brown asked quietly, the confidence in his voice slipping away into fear. Eight dreadnoughts of unknown type meant only one thing… first contact.

"C-confirmed, Sir." The serviceman replied. "Bridge reports the same." He continued.

"Sir, all ships are requesting orders.' Came a lieutenant from the com-terminals.

"Any sign of the Melbourne." Brown asked.

'Negative, Sir, they're not here."

"Have all ships maintain formation." He ordered, it wouldn't due make hostilities again and repeat the FCW.

"Understood, Sir." The tech specialist responded.

Admiral Rafael Brown, Fifty year old Systems Alliance Admiral, Commander of a full sixth of humanities naval fleet looked to the Unknowns' ships profiles as they were projected on the holo-display and he felt fear, fear he had not felt since engaging the Turians for the first time as the commander of a Alliance Cruiser a meager thirteen years ago. The largest stood one point six kilometers in length, larger than the Asari's Destiny Ascension a ship that took two years for them to build and nearly bankrupt the largest galaxic economy and the Unknowns had one. Three of the other dreadnoughts stood at one kilometer in length, while the remaining four were approximately nine hundred and fifty meters in length. The twelve cruisers stood a meager three hundred meters in length. He out numbered them five to one, but if the power signatures were anything to show, they produced more power than his fleet did. If he did win a good number of ships and countless numbers of the men and women under his command would not be returning home, but if he lost…

Brown shook his head he wouldn't attack, protocol was to contact the Citadel Council so they could send diplomats in the event of first contact. But he made first contact on behalf on the Alliance, humanity would benefit immensely from it, there were going to be consequences, but given the treaty of Firaxen he doubted the Unknowns would want to part with their oversized dreadnought. He made his choice.

"Lieutenant, send the first contact package." He ordered.

"Aye, Aye, Sir." She responded as she quickly began to type on her display. "Message sent, Sir."

Brown Nodded, all there was left to do was wait.

Minutes passed. "Sir they're broadcasting to us." The Officer reported.

"Send it to the display." Brown answered as he striated his officers uniform and faced the holo-display.

A large square one by one-meter square was displayed before him. The Admiral stood tall as the display revealed a massive Alien. It was large, he knew that a great many projectors showed images than they really were; an intimidation tactic, but he doubted it was the case here. The Alien was unlike any thing he had scene before, which wasn't a surprise.

It appeared to reptilian, hairless, with two black orbs for eyes, it had long neck as well. But the most distinguished feature was its mouth, a mouth split in quarters. For a brief moment there was silence as the two eyed one another, then it spoke.

"Human." It intoned, its voice was deep, commanding and it spoke accented English, but English nevertheless. Brown gaped, he wasn't the only one in shock if the gasps echoed from around the room were an indication. He did pay attention to that though as his mind raced, how he thought how was this possible.

The Alien continued unbothered "You destruction is the will of the Gods and we the faithful are their holy instruments." It paused then spoke after its declaration. "Die." It commanded. Then the image cut out replaced by black as the signal was cut.

"Unknowns' energy signature is climbing, they're engaging." A voice cried out.

"Hundreds of fighter contacts detected!" Another reported

"Wolfpack Alpha is gone."

"Fighter Screen is being decimated!"

"Captains are requesting orders!"

**Codex: Systems Alliance Eagle Interceptor: Designed and produced after the Relay 314 incident, the Eagle Interceptor has gradually replaced all older models of Alliance Interceptor Craft. The Interceptor at seven meters in length is armed with a Mark 7 Mass Accelerator optimized to engage opposing fighter-craft.**

**Systems Alliance Raven Torpedo-bomber: Like the Eagle Ravens were produced post 314 incident, when previous Torpedo-bomber showed weakness when engaging Hierarchy Ships. At ten meters in length it is similarly armed with a Mark 7 Mass Accelerator, as well as two disruptor torpedoes for engaging starships.**

**A/N: read and review, I am looking for tips and advice for writing space battles.**


	3. Massacre at Mindoir

**Disclaimer: Halo belongs to 343, Mass Effect belongs to Bioware**

"_Unknowns' energy signature is climbing, they're engaging." A voice cried out._

"_Hundreds of fighter contacts detected!" Another reported_

"_Wolfpack Alpha is gone."_

"_Fighter Screen is being decimated!"_

"_Captains are requesting orders!"_

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

_SSV Elbrus, Mindoir System, 2170_

"Report." Admiral Brown ordered as he glanced at the CIC holo-display as the now hostile ships advanced.

"Alpha is gone, fighter screen has been engaged by hostile bogeys." A technician reported.

Admiral Brown observed the holo-display and frown. "Have Wolfpacks Charlie through Juliet move in and engage hostile cruisers H-1 through H-8. All cruiser battle-groups engage the dreadnoughts, one group per heavy weight and have the Elbrus engage their lead." His odds of survival weren't good against the Ascension size monster but it would give it some thing to shoot at other than his lighter vessels.

With the rapid fire orders issued the Admiral watched as his fleet moved to engage the Unknown Hostiles. The Frigates were still out of range by several thousand kilometers, while the rest of his fleet was in range "What's the status of our fighters, and what the hell killed Alpha?"

The Elbrus's CIC shuttered, the main gun was firing.

"Point defenses from long range took out the Wolfpacks fighter screen, all battle-groups report their fighters are still active."

That was bad, very bad, while he still had the Elbrus fighters, and the Einstein's fighters as well as the 240 fighters of the cruisers, what ever had killed his initial fighter screens from the several thousand-kilometer distance changed things. Never the less he had a battle to win or at least survive. "Alpha?"

"Hostile PD tore Alpha apart as well as an unknown weapon sir." The same officer reported, as he over looked his consol.

"Unknown?" He asked.

"Sensors couldn't get a good reading sir."

"Damn."

With the orders given the Systems Alliance Fourth Fleet began its counter attack against the Aggressors.

The Elbrus remained in place as it fired on the enemy super-dreadnought; with it were the Alliance Dreadnoughts compliment of fighters twenty in number. The Elbrus 20kg rounds fired at four thousand kilometers per second were fired at extreme range 40,000 kilometers. Its target sidestepped the rounds those that it didn't exploded against the shields of the super ship all but useless.

The Cruiser Battle-groups sped forward desperate to get into range to concentrate their fire on the hostile dreadnoughts. They and their two hundred and forty strong fighter escort halted when they reached their optimal firing range, a mere 10,000 kilometers, unknowingly well with range of their enemies point defenses. Once within range they attacked sending some six hundred kilotons of explosive energy forward in the first volley. The volley succeeded in bringing down two of the small dreadnoughts and damaging a third, sending them free floating. Then came the counter fire, the Alliance wasn't so lucky as torpedoes and lances of pulse lasers tore the stationary cruisers apart as ten cruisers were sent to their graves almost immediately, the hulls of the ships burning with the released energy.

In the lead of the Alliance counter offensive were the Wolfpacks, eager to get revenge for the unprovoked destruction of their sister ships and fighter escorts, the eight cruisers, and forty-eight frigates of the Fourth Fleet's Wolfpacks threw themselves into the jaws of death.

The SSV Toronto the leader of Wolfpack Delta led the charge and was consequently the first to die. As the cruiser charged leading its six strong Wolfpack into effective firing range, one of the hostile ships fired sending an bolt of plasma surging at the Toronto head on. The Alliance cruiser, built to be the mid point between the agile but fragile Alliance frigates and the Alliances heavy hitting but unmaneuverable Dreadnoughts never stood a chance, with the bolt moving straight at the cruiser and her escorts several hundred kilometers out of range of the attacker the torpedo impacted.

For a brief instant the Toronto's barrier held, then vanished as the extreme heat of the torpedo overloaded the Toronto's forward barrier projector melting it in the process. This allowed the plasma to burn impeded through the ships relatively thin hull burn inwards vaporizing the bridge and proceed to reduce every thing in its path to molecules. With a final flash the SSV Toronto died as secondary explosions erupted along the torpedoes path culminating in the explosion of the Eezo reactor.

The remainder of Wolfpack Delta died similarly within seconds of the death of their leader, five of the frigates died as lasers reached out hundreds of kilometers and speared the unfortunate ships burning everything in their paths causing the ships to explode in brief flashes as reactors detonated much like the Toronto. The sixth ship found it self on a collision course for a torpedo but like the Toronto it had no chance to maneuver, when the torpedo hit it sheared the small vessel in half. The explosion marking its death as it sent both fragments in opposite directions, tearing apart all the while.

This was repeated all along the Alliance forward elements; cruisers were killed leading their formations into range or engaging the dreadnoughts, while frigates were ripped apart by lasers and plasma. In less than ten minutes of engaging the Human Systems Alliance lost more men and more ships than the entirety of the First Contact War, it was only the beginning.

"No…"

Admiral Brown didn't know who had spoken, it didn't matter. He had sent over seven thousand men and women to their deaths in a effort to get his frigates within range and in a position that the hostile dreadnoughts and cruisers would have a difficult time to properly engage them.

Hopeless, he realized that, was what the situation was, yes he did mission kill three dreadnoughts, but in exchange an entire fleet had been decimated, and the enemy still had five more dreadnoughts and all twelve of it cruisers. There was only one option left, he needed to save the rest of his command.

"Signal all ships to retreat, we can't win." He was doing the right thing, they couldn't get to Mindoir. The colony was lost as was the battle. He had underestimated the enemy.

"Bridge acknowledges, sir."

"Einstein, her escorts, and the troopships are away." Good Brown thought at least some had escaped the death trap, now it remained to be seen if anyone else could follow.

"Sir all hostiles are moving forward, energy signatures are climbing!" A voice cried out, terrified. The super dreadnought advanced with the surviving enemy ships, it had ignored the Elbrus attacks, like a fly to a dog. All he had succeeded in doing was annoy it, which it then proceeded to ignore his attacks, and instead annihilate his cruisers and frigates.

This was it Brown thought, he closed his eyes, his hands grasping the bar surrounding the holo-display.

"They've targeted the cruisers fighter screens, forward fighter screens are at fifty percent." Brown's eyes widened and he shot a glance at the CIC officer. The man in question was peering over a computer display, his hands racing over its holo-interface.

"Enemy fighters are regrouping, and moving to engage, our forwards." The officer continued

"Numbers?"

"One-one hundred and eighty sir, time to intercept is twenty seconds." The officer replied horrified.

He couldn't save them, there wasn't any chance to do so, the Elbrus's fighters wouldn't tip the balance, and the Einstein's own fighters were too far away. More lives to condemn to hopeless death, he thought bitterly.

"Time to relay?" It was a question, not an order.

"ETA, five minutes to FTL range, sir."

"Three addition contacts, two dreadnoughts at one kilometer in length, one at fourteen hundred meters." Brown hanged his head, other wise he didn't outwardly react; it was the enemy's ace in the hole, a final measure to ensure success.

"Distance?"

"Fifteen thousand kilometers, off starboard." That put them between his cruisers and escape, damn.

"One hundred and twenty additional fighters detected, sixty bogeys are on intercept trajectory ETA is two minutes."

"Cruisers?" again a question, the tenacity that had made him elevate to be the flag officer of a fleet was gone.

"Overwhelmed, hostile warships and fighters swarmed them."

"Fighters on intercept in two minute, Eagles are on intercept." Brown thought back to when he was a part of the crew of an Alliance cruiser, fighting the Turians for the fight time as apart of Admiral Dresher's relief force. At least then their enemy was sing identical technology, and not weapons that made his ships defenses, the best in Alliance space useless.

"Intercept in one minute, Eagles are gone." The officers voice was devoid of emotion, he like all other members of the CIC knew they were about to die.

"Interce-" The officer never finished his sentence as explosions ripped across the hull of the Elbrus.

The Dreadnought fleeing the on coming fighter swarm, it's compliment of fighters destroyed was assaulted by a half dozen tear-drop shaped craft, the others holding back.

The kilometer in length ship shuttered, and like the cruisers and frigates before it, the barrier held then died just as quickly as the projectors were overloaded. This allowed the plasma bombs to tear into the dreadnoughts hull, burning away every thing in their paths.

The Alliance's battle to gain space superiority, and liberate Mindoir was over.

Unknown to both the Alliance and their attackers were the eight ghosts; invisible to sensors and the naked eye that lurked beyond the warring ships. Their crews witnessed the massacre committed by the long declared enemies of mankind; an enemy they were taught about by their parents, and by their grandparents who themselves experienced the nightmare. They learned of The Enemy, of The War, why their way of life was the way it was in their schooling. Upon reaching their majority they under went training like all citizens of their Empire did, training on how to fight The Enemy as well as other enemies to ensure that never again would they be vermin, to be pushed to the brink of extinction. Unknown to the combatants was that the hunters had become the hunted.

**++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++A/N: Well there is the Alliances' first encounter with the Covenant, of course they are not alone, but they don't know that. Read, review and tell me what you think, this was the first space battle I have written so feedback is welcome.**


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